Mariner Minors: 09/12/2004

Mariner Minors

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Baseball America has released a list of Minor League All-Stars for all levels and RHP Felix Hernandez is on the second team after an excellent 2004 campaign. Congratualtions, Felix!

posted by Jay Y. @ 7:31 PM

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

As the guys at USS Mariner noted earlier, the Aquasox have been sold to a Cleveland lawyer. There's no plan to move the Aquasox any time soon, so fans need not worry. Now if only they could track down a buyer for the Rainiers who could invest some money into the stadium...

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:12 PM

Transaction Update

The M's have called up C Rene Rivera from advanced-A Inland Empire, because their post seasons dreams are dashed and I killed the suspense. RHP Brett Evert was DFA'd to make room.

Rivera, 21, is regarded by some as the second best defensive catcher in the system, behind Dan Wilson but with an arm that can actually strike fear into opposing baserunners, and a considerable amount at that. Unfortunately, Rivera caught the same thing Luis Oliveros caught last year halfway through, except to a greater degree, as Rivera's average slipped from .286 to .235 while Oliveros dropped from around .315 to .286. The doubles are promising for future power potential, but the average needs some work.

Evert, 23, is a prospect with a 12-6 curve and recently, no distinct role or control. I figured that leaving him in relief would remedy both problems, but we may never find out. Considering the Braves didn't really want to get rid of him to begin with, Evert is gone.

Tell me there's a good reason why we couldn't 60-day Bucky, recall and 60-day Heaverlo, or DFA Looper instead of this. I'm dying to hear this. It should be as good as the reasoning for not calling up Zapp.

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:58 PM

I've been trying to hook up the box score for the final game of the Lancaster-Inland Empire series for a while, but SportsNetwork still hasn't put it up, so instead I'll link to Jonathan Bianchet's recap at ITP as well as the article and the notebook in the San Bernadino County Sun. Wladimir Balentien kept on hitting but it just wasn't enough this time.

In news around here, the minor league Runs Created is mostly done, that is to say I'm waiting on Baseball America to update their stats because neither the DSL or VSL site provides intentional walks and whatnot (the DSL hardly provides anything). This year it doesn't look like I'll have league data for anything below Wisconsin due to similar problems getting the data. I think I'll work on SECA next, then move on to pitchers.

posted by Jay Y. @ 5:16 PM

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Lancaster 9 (ARI), Inland Empire 5 (South Division Finals, Game #3)
RHP Jon Huber (5.91, L) got through four and two-thirds innings, allowing five runs on seven hits (HR) and a walk against two strikeouts. RHP Mike Steele (9.00) went the next inning and gave up an earned run on three hits with one strikeout, then RHP Tanner Watson (3.86) came in for two and a third and gave up a run on two hits (HR) with two strikeouts. RHP Greg Wear (0.00) had an uncharacteristically uneventful ninth. You cannot stop RF Wladimir Balentien (2 2B, R, RBI, .471), you can only hope to hold him to two hits every once in a while. There were no other Sixers in the two-hit club, but some additional power was provided by LF Jon Nelson (HR, .182), DH Carlos Arroyo (3B, R, .421), C Rene Rivera (HR, .067), and 1B Matt Hagen (2B, RBI, .385). That was Rivera’s first hit in the playoffs, though he also walked twice today and has otherwise been an on-base machine for the team. LHP Bobby Livingston takes the hill tomorrow, with the Sixers trailing 1-2 and facing elimination.

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:20 AM

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Inland Empire 4, Lancaster 6 (ARI) (South Division Finals, Game #2)
RHP Juan Sandoval (7.11, L) was off tonight, going six and a third innings and giving up five earned runs on seven hits (HR), a hit batter, and two walks with two strikeouts. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0.00) came in after that and allowed one of Sandoval’s runs to score on a single, but that was the only hit the Aussie allowed over an inning and two-thirds, and he struck out three along the way. 3B Jesus Guzman (2 2B, RBI, .250) and LF Jon Nelson (.176) both added two hits, while some extra-base power came from the bats of CF Gary Harris (HR, .421), RF Wladimir Balentien (2B, R, .462), and 1B Matt Hagen (HR, 2 RBI, .400). Balentien was also hit by a pitch. RHP Jon Huber tomorrow.

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:27 PM

A quick note, before tonight's playoff game between Inland Empire and Lancaster...

It seems that SS Adam Jones has been called up and placed on the Inland Empire playoff roster. This is perhaps due to unavailability of SS Erick Monzon, but it's not too unusual to see players being moved up for playoff games in the minor leagues.

posted by Jay Y. @ 5:11 PM

Inland Empire 7, Lancaster 6 (ARI) (South Division Finals, Game #1)
LHP Thom Oldham (2.84) proved why he should have been in the cal League to start the season, going six and a third innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits (HR) and two walks with ten strikeouts. RHP Darwin Soto (13.50, W) had an unusually rough outing in the next two innings, giving up three runs on three hits, two hit batters, two wild pitches, and three walks with just one strikeout, but LHP Melvin Pizarro (0.00, S) bailed him out of it by striking out the last two batters. The Sixers’ offense was on a rampage today as CF Gary Harris (2B, HR, 2 RBI, SB, .500) and DH Carlos Arroyo (2B, CS, .583) had three hits apiece, while RF Wladimir Balentien (R, E, .500), 1B Matt Hagen (R, RBI, .429), and SS Michael Garciaparra (HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, .333) notched two each. Balentien and Garciaparra, who’s probably feeling pretty good about himself now, both walked once as well, while C Rene Rivera (2 R, .000) walked and scored twice. Oh yeah, Harris' home run was inside the park. RHP Juan Sandoval tomorrow. Jekyll, or Hyde?

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:51 AM